Workflow in Sage CRM basically helps to systematize business processes using a predefined set of business logic rules and actions. A Workflow is a sequence of tasks that processes a set of data. As we know many businesses and industries have followed one kind of workflow process. Workflows are the paths that describe how something goes from being undone to done, or raw to process.

In a standard Sage CRM, workflow is available for primary entities e.g. cases, solutions, opportunities, and leads by default. There are predefined workflows for these entities and workflow action buttons are displayed onscreen to the user. You can manually activate workflow for other primary entities e.g. campaigns, companies, and people, and then define your workflows for these entities. You can also define workflows for a custom entity if you enabled workflow when you built the custom entity.

System admin can apply for workflow works on tables inside Sage CRM only. Also, he can apply workflow to custom entities. Sage CRM has a graphical workflow tree that uses loops and branches and lets you view a visual representation of the states and rules in your workflow as you build it.  

Sage CRM provides the extended option for creating new database connections and external table connections. A database connection is the registration of another database to which the Sage CRM server can connect directly or indirectly. Refer following related link for creating external database connectivity.

Related Post: External database connectivity

Sage CRM Workflow can work on tables inside Sage CRM only. So if the user wants to apply workflow to an external table, what system admin do? Here we are going to explain how to apply Sage CRM workflow on external Database tables.

The first user needs to log on to the Sage CRM system as a system administrator. He must need to create an exact shadow of the external table in Sage CRM. Then he should make changes to retrieved data from the external table in the ASP pages associated with the workflow rules.

When an entity record is created in a workflow, the workflow ID on the record maps to an instance ID in the WorkFlowInstance table. The WorkFlowInstance table is linked to the WorkFlowState table and determines the current state and associated rules for the record. For this, the system admin makes sure that the table must have a workflowid field that links the record to the workflow instance table.

The system administrator has to make sure the following things are present in the system:

• The system administrator needs to create a foreign key on the internal Sage CRM table with a one-to-one relationship with the external table.
• The System administrator should make sure a list screen to find and display a summary page for the external table is available in Sage CRM.
• The System administrator must take care of a Start Workflow button that calls an ASP page to insert a record into the internal table and attach it to the workflow.
• In addition to ASP pages, the system administrator can use conditional rules and global rules to perform actions. The JavaScript condition can look to the external table to determine whether workflow buttons should be displayed.
• Also, the System administrator can able to apply security policies on the shadow table in CRM so that can be applied to the external table.

After making above mentioned configuration system admin can able to create a workflow on an external table.

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